Nice!

I've never been but would love to go someday on a visit back to the US....although I get to go to the HD Museum for the first time in Milwaukee in a few weeks.

A business peer of mine spent quite a bit of time at Bonneville trying to crack 200mph on a modified Hayabusa. From what I learned from him it's even harder than it looks.

The closest I've been to it is seeing the World's Fastest Indian bikes(real and replica) in the flesh.

Wind drag, lack of traction on the salt and lack of barometric pressure are the major obsticles to overcome at Bonneville. Especially barometric pressure, at 6k' ASL, a naturally aspirated engine requires huge valves to flow enough air, and incredibly high static compression. The 110 octane gas will support cold cranking pressures in the range of 240 lbs. At sea level that equates to 12.5-13.5:1 static compression depending on the closing point of the intake valve. At 6k' ASL, the same engine/cam will require close to 16:1 compression to make the same CCP. To do it right, the engine gets built and tuned at the same elevation as Bonneville. In the real world, the engine gets built in NC, tuned, shake down runs and then pistons and heads get changed prior to the Bonneville. Maybe a day to tune on a buddy's dyno in Colorado on the way to the salt.

Honda CBX
 

One of my bikes is a 1981 Honda CBX 1000, 6 cylinder 24 valve sweetheart.

classic!...although I'd hate to do the valve adjustments and carb sync'ing

Had my carbs cleaned a few months ago. Very big job and expensive, but the bike went a bunch better afterwards. Unfortunatley I had a bad crash on it and almost lost a leg, so no riding for me for a while as healing is taking a bit of time.

The carb sync'ing is not really hard. It requires a six colum mercury vacume gauge. Simply connect each carb to its own colume on the gauge. Then adjust the other five butterflies until they are all drawing the same vacume. Idle AFR is sort of done the same way.

Tuning six carbs for power can be challenging as their are big differences in temps between the inside cylinders and outside cylinders. Add in the different port profiles for the various cylinders across the head and getting everything out of each hole is alot of trial and error.

Awesome........

Being in the motorbike biz, it drives me nuts seeing Honda come out with some awesome bikes while it also comes out with generic clones of Harley-Davidson.

No matter how good their cruisers are(and they can be surprisingly good), they are still perceived by most as clones and the red haired step children of the Harley dominated cruiser community.

If I was running Honda marketing, I'd say "We're bringing back a limited edition CBX."

"We are only going to make X many(the first year)".

"They are going to cost X dollars paid in advance."

People would go nuts.......and the program would be pre-funded. :)

The CBX is a big part of the Honda legacy......I've got a photo of me as a kid on one with my uncle that drove my desire for motorcycles and entering the business.

It's a shame really.....they've brought back brands like Norton.....I don't see why they can't bring back a brand within a brand in the form of a new CBX.

Anywho.....nice bike.

ouch, hope ya heel well, and fast. that hurts just looking at it.:eek:

Thanks Glebo, funnily enough, it didnt hurt a bit, which is more than I can say for the broken ribs and shoulder.

The other bike
 

The other one is a 1978 Triumph Bonneville 750 cc

An update. Not the Bonneville land speed bike, but a bike I am building for a friend. Very similar to my race bike.

/\ /\ /\ Haaa, gotta luv it, in the kitchenette no less....LOL

They only place to build...close to the fridge..

Ohlins up front?

What about on the rear?

You might be able to scare up some Ohlins rear shocks(not sure if they'd fit size wise, but maybe) 2nd hand off of the Yamaha XJRs that came as standard upgrades a number of years back.....could be some in good knick from a salvaged bike.

I like the direction you're going in.....looks like a reinterpretation of an old FXR.

Thanks for the kind words.

That is an FXR frame. The front fork is a set of KYB 43mm inverted forks that have been lengthened by three inches.

Look at the area between the lower tube and the caliper bracket, there is an extension in there. Inside the fork the dampener tube is three inches longer, final was 1200 grit and then hard place anodized. Very slippery.

The rear shocks are going to be custom built by GMD Atlanta once the bike is completely built and a true rear axle weight is known.

Here are some pics of the fork extensions in various stages of the build and the bike in its previous configuration. The fork with the red fender is from a tube frame Buell. The Buell fork was great for going straight but was too short for the twisties, plus it had side mounted calipers. The 43mm KYB is a much better platform and more worthy of the work required to extend it.

Awesome effort....I'd be keen to see the finished product once done. My workshop manager is going to get a kick out of this one. Him and his Dad are working on an outside the square kind of bike....trying to mesh old school Harley with more modern Buell/Ohlins bits too.

They're trying to shoehorn a TwinCam motor/trans into an FXR frame.

I'm working on a 48 at the moment....but will be 80% stock.....far more show than go.

Putting a TC engine and transmission into an FXR is pretty easy if they use the swingarm from a 2002-2006 dresser. Everything will simply bolt in. Pretty good upgrade and low cost at that.

Some updated pics of the FXRs I am building. The mostly black bike belongs to my friend and the bike with more chrome is mine.

Still have to source many parts and lots to do before we can light them. My friend is retiring late this summer, the goal is to be riding them before he signs out.

Looks good....

What's the upside down front-end?

Looks a bit like Ohlins.

I like the double disk front end.

Should be a real goer.

Always been a fan of the FXR......every year when I talk to the Platform Engineering guys I always ask "When you bringing back the bloody FXR?" :)

It can be a pain in the arse at time building bikes, but it's lots of fun.

I wish that fork was an Ohlins, it would have cost less. The forks in the pictures is a KYB 43mm that came from a '07-2008 GSXR-1000.

Of course it was too short and had springs and valves that were not right for a FXR. I lengthened the fork for 3" at the bottom. There is a spacer between the lower tube and the feet as well as a longer dampener tube inside. The springs are RaceTech 1.0 units and the valving has been replaced with a Gold valve setup, also from RaceTech.

Those brake rotors are 320mm and came from BrakeTech and use Ferrodo Zroc pads.

Cheers,

What bouncy bits do you have on the rear to match the suspension money put up front?

I remember back in the back Suzuki offered free upgrade Ohlins on GSX bikes(not sure if US was included in that though)...I know some guys who've salvaged them for other projects.

Great project though....please keep posting progress photos.

Rolling Thunder...
 

Anyone? Checking here to see where and when like minded folks will be around. I'm heading north on Thursday, will be staying with my Mom in Laurel.

Bonneville Land Speed Racing
 

Packing up now and heading to Bonneville for Bub Week (Motorcycles Only). This is a street riden 2002 Harley Dyna Low Rider with extensive modifications, aside from the obvious, the engine is an all bore (4.25") 114" that runs 14.5:1 compression, modified, raised port Hurricane heads w/titanium valves and a bunch of other stuff that I cannot talk about. Goal is to go 178 MPH (record for the class). Anyone in the area is invited to stop by our pit for a cold one.

Quit riding 14 years ago when I got married.
Had a wife and 7 year-old step son to care for, didn't need the VFR750F tempting me.

Still have that bike stored out back.

The local climate and roads have been tempting me to start riding again.
Got a call Tuesday which pushed me over the edge.

Parents have 7 motorcycles, which they determined to be 1 too many.
Dad called and asked if I wanted his RoadStar 1600 (he upgraded to a Raider 1900).

I bit (too difficult to pass on 98 cubic inches of single-pin, V-twin fun).
It's in great shape, well-maintained, 2000 model year, 31k miles, and a few upgrades.

Should get it this weekend or next.
Will post pics.

Wow, nice job. I was wondering why you had a fairing over the front wheel.

The motor sounds badass...good job on it. Just don't blow it up...:eek:

The class allows for a 120 cubic inch, aircooled, pushrod engine in an exposed stock chassis without any aerodynamic enhancement. For whatever reason, that fender is legal for the class. WTF?

The bike, rider and his PPE will go through the 'Scrutineering' station on Saturday. We have a couple of other fenders to swap out if this one gets held up in the tech inspection.

The old timers at Bonneville say your not racing hard enough if you go home with a running engine. Two years ago we went 171 mph, missed the record by 2 MPH and blew two very expensive engines. $20k later and we arent even at the track yet.

A friend of mine, Vance Breese, Jr., took a tumble on one at 260 MPH back in '95. Knocked some sense into him. . .he now flies a gyroplane. :D

Good luck on the record!

Pat

Just found this...

I try to blend in, so I ride a BMW R1200GS over here in Germany and have a '03 Harley Sportster back in Texas. I only use the HD a couple of weeks out of the year, it's a 883 but I'm thinking about putting the 1250cc kit on it.

Mike

Looks like your Sporty is an '03 Anniversary edition. I'd keep the 880 in it, just because it can from the factory that way, and the fact it is an '03. If you'd like a bigger bike, look at getting another one, but keep that '03 as is. But that's me. You can do what you want. It's your bike. :D

I must say though, those are some very "interesting" lines on your BMW.
Just what exactly is that "decoration" under your head light?
Looks like some sort of "James Bond" type gadgetry. :D

Yes, the 100 year Anniversary. I still can't believe I got it so cheap from a HD dealer in Houston. I know what you mean about keeping it original, I would just like to have a little more power to it. Any ideas? I ride with big twins every once in awhile and it's hard to keep up on the interstate.

007 HSLD gear... Yeah, I would love some gadgets by Mr. Q. haha :cool:. I have a Touratech headlight protector over the headlight (I ride off road sometimes), I also have "Micro Flooter" driving lights on it and a custom oil cooler cover.

My 08 SV650S...Great for ripping up the canyons here in Colorado.

Well, I officially gave up my HD loyalty...I was strapped for cash a few years back and bought a used Honda...and you can't break the friggin' thing. It just keeps running, no matter what. I am kinda sold, provided I have the tools to do some custom work (which I do.) Now, all I need to do is get my bidness set up to make non-HD parts.

For those asking about Group parts, etc...if you're in the market, feel free to contact me, and IF the leadership here gives it the OK, I'll make you a good deal on aesthetic parts. I'm about 1500 miles away from my shop right now, in Phoenix, so I'm not doing any performance work...but I can send in a design and have pretty parts in the mail in a couple of days...

...and yes...I realize it's blasphemy that I no longer ride Harley, but haven't managed switched my shop over to produce parts for anything except Harley...I'm actually getting measurements together and drawing up plans for parts for Honda cruisers right now, but it may be a while before they hit production.

The 1200 cylinders will bolt in without any machining. Harley makes a kit, but there is much better in the aftermarket from companies like Axtell and S&S.

A good set of bolt-in cams will liven up that engine weather it stays an 883 or gets the big-bore cylinders. Cams are needed regardless.

Look at Zippers Performance for a better flowing aircleaner, cams, mufflers and maybe even some cylinders and headwork. 85 Horse at the rear wheel on a 1200 cc sporty is common.

If it's an '03 it is ten years old, no need to keep it original as it came from Harley. OEM bikes are way too restricted, they run hot and leave allot of power on the table.

Allow that bike to breath and it'll run circles around the big twins. The hot rods of harley have always been the sportsters.

Took it for a short ride last night.
Hadn't ridden a motorcycle in more than a decade.

Forgot how much different these things are from sport bikes.
Much louder, too.

Was going to go for a long ride today to finish off the vacation week, but the rain isn't going to stop anytime soon.
Maybe next weekend.

Just remember that there are old riders and there are bold riders but there are no old bold riders, be safe and enjoy! And please do us a favor and send some of that rain our way :) .

Time to reserect this thread.....

Who is riding and what is it? What are you doing on your rides? Bike tour photos!

I’ve been riding off and on since I was 12. Since being back in the states and in a state you can ride year round I started riding again to relax and get out of the house. Got a good deal on a V Star 950 and have been enjoying it a lot. Might have to go bigger as the long hauls to other places I want to see need more power and a little more comfort. Until then I will ge adding miles to this bike.

I LITERALLY never rode a bike until April of this year when I took the BRC.

I have since picked up a BMW G650GS for me, and a Honda CB500X for my wife, both used, low mileage and couldn't pass up deals.

She loves the Honda, I am not enamored with the Thumper. We'll see how long she lasts, but I had no frame of reference before buying except the BRC bike and a few short test rides.

We have gotten up to hour, hour and a half rides to nearby state parks and day hikes before riding back.

The goal has always been to be ready to hit the Blue Ridge Parkway for a couple of days by mid-Nov for the fall color. I have an FTX through the 2nd, then it is most likely going to happen.

I love my Harley’s. I have a 2016 Low Rider and my son has a 2006 Night Train. I taught him to ride, got him in a riders course and picked up a second bike when he was 16. We have spent many, many days exploring the back roads and hills of Tennessee. It gave us a common hobby at a critical time in his development.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...ea6be4de7b.jpg



https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...d731d1cf49.jpg

I have two bikes a 1967 FLH and a 2013 Ultra Classic, guess which one I prefer? I have had Harleys since 1974 and until 2005 the 67 FLH was the newest HD I had ever owned.

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For planning your trips check out Butler Motorcycle Maps. They have different ones by state and special areas. They are prepared for motorcycle riding and all of the routes are ridden and rated by riders. They are a great tool for picking routes.

Check out the link as they have great ones for your area.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_dp_s...otorcycle+Maps

I am trying to ride all of the top ones here in NM.